The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-06
MIR. BEECHER,s POLITICS.
His First Break from the Republican Party
Local and Personal Matter.
Brooklyn Citizen.


Up to the last years of his life Henry Ward
Beecher pretty strict party man in poll
tics The first time that he broke with the Re-
publican organization in local affairs was in the
fall of 1879. That year there was red-hot con-
test for the mayoraltv. The Democrats had re-
nominated James Howell, who in 1877 had hand
somely taken the Republican candidate John F.
Henry. into camp, although the basest passions
of the masses had been played upon to elect
Henry by the Irish vote of the South Brooklyn
wards. The Republicans had put into the Geld
Franklin Woodruff, then of the great ware
housing firm of Woodruff & Robinson. who was
supposed to be especially strong among the la
boring classes, being known large and lib
eral employer. Woodruff's strength, like
Henry's, was supposed TO be in the South Brook
Ign wards. where his great business was located.
The Democracy were pretty we'll united for the
reelection of Howell The local Republican or
ganlzation was split up into the stalwart and
nalf-breed factions, and they waged relentless
war upon each other at the primary elections, in
the general committee and in the nominating
conventions. Mr.. Woodruff was a prominent
half breed, and he had a close shave in the CITY
convention. sa
Even after he was nominated he felt that the
opposition to him in his own party had been so
strong that there was proxmate danger it would
be carried to the polls. Hence in his speech be-
fore the Republican city convention, accepting
the nomination to the mayoralty, he used these
remarkable words: ''If there be any Republican
in Kings county who is dissatisfied with this. my
nomination to the chief maelStracy OF Brooklyn,
let him step forward here and now. and state his
grievance, or forever afterward hold his peace.
Like Brutus, he paused for reply but there
was response, and the stalwarts sup
posed to have accepted the situation. and were
expected to work like little men for Woodruff s
election. But there was subterranean force
at work against the election of Franklin Wood
ruff to the mayoralty, and within the ranks of
the Republican organization, whose crushing
force the politicians do not appreciate That
force the restless, destructive political actv-
lty of Plymouth Church, the power of which
had already been felt by the Hon. Eugene d.
Berri. when that gentleman accepted Repub-
Gcan nomination to the county clerkship.
Mr.. Frank" Woodruff had been the friend
Mutual Friend" of the Tilden scandal period
Mr.. Woodruff had sympathized openly with the
views of the Moutons, husband and wife, and
had publicly expressed his belief that Mr..
Beecher was guilty of the charge made against
him by Theodore Tilton when Tilton appealed to
the City Court in a suit for criminal converse
ton. Mr.. Woodruff was. therefore. one of the
last men whom the members of Plymouth
Church desired TO SEQ nominated to any Office by
the local Republican organization with which
the great majority Of them were affiliated. They
resented the nomination of such a man to the
mayoralty of Brooklyn by the Republican party
as a personal affront to their beloved pastor.
Accordingly. every engine was quietly set Ia
work in the society of Plymouth Church to de-
feat him, and in such way to leave no mis-
take after the election was over to how the
defeat was brought about 1t began to be whis
pered about from lip to lip through the city thai
the great warehousing firm Of Woodruff & Rob